Seamless dampening roller and means to support same

ABSTRACT

A dampening roller apparatus having an uniform outer surface is rotatably supported on a hollow inner tube. The inner tube includes end caps detachable therefrom. When the outer surface is spent, it can be easily replaced by removal of either or both end caps from the inner tube.

United States Patent Sorresso [45] Nov. 18, 1975 [5 SEAMLESS DAMPENING ROLLER AND 2,087,888 7/1937 29/120 x MEANS T S O SAME 2,266,275 12/1941 Schuler 29/119 X 2,312,853 3/1943 Toland et a1 29/131 1 lnvemori Anthony 50118850, 444 Walker 2,647.,299 8/1953 Thomas 29/131 X 811., North Babylon, N.Y. 11703 2,807,124 9/1957 Tachon 29/123 X 2,840,888 7/1958 Guglielmo et a1. 29/119 [22] Jam 1975 3,273,224 9/1966 Spicer 29/120 1211 Appl. N0.: 542,732

Primary ExaminerAlfred R. Guest 1 F H. K 521 US. Cl. 29/120; 29/1295; 29/131 Ammel Agem Leonard mg [51] Int. (:1. B21B 27/02 [58] Field of Search 29/119, 120, 131, 129.5, [57] ABSTRACT,

29/123 A dampenmg roller apparatus havmg an umform outer surface is rotatably supported on a hollow inner tube. 5 References Cited The inner tube includes end caps detachable there- UNITED STATES PATENTS from. When the outer surface 'is spent, it can be easily replaced by removal of elther or both end caps from 637,559 11/1899 Hett 29/119 X the inner tube 1,241,193 9/1917 Carlino..., 29/123 x 1,760,370 5/1930 Morris 29/131 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 PRIOR ART m w (w m mm f 1- F ET: 1

SEAMLESS DAMPENING ROLLER AND MEANS TO SUPPORT SAME FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to roller coverings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dampening roller having an uniform outer surface and support means therefor that allows quick exchange of the roller cartidge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dampening rollers are widely used in industry, particularly the printing trades where they are employed to carry water or other dampening solutions to the printing plates. And, to a certain extent, covered rollers find application as squeezing rollers where they, in combination with other rollers remove excess fluids from a given workpiece or continuous sheet.

While the above mentioned concept is deceptively simple, its practical application leaves much to be desired. The dampening roller is required to completely wet the printing plate, and to do so without leaving any voids whatever, lest a void or unwetted portion ruin the print. The roller must be strong since it is connected to machine links which drive it in reciprocating motion at rapid rates causing the roller to experience large instantaneous accelerations. Then, too, since the rollers are required to work nearly continuously at relatively high contact pressures, they wear out frequently. Hence, provision must be made for their frequent ex change. With this in mind, the rollers must be inexpensive and easily removable from the machine since the cost of the roller and the downtime associated therewith are not insignificant economic considerations.

conventionally, it has been the practice either to use an exchangeable roller covering or fabric shroud, or,

exchangeable roller and attached covering.

In the former method, illustrated by example, in US. Pat. No. 2,840,888and shown in FIG. 1, a cylindrical fabric sleeve or shroud is made to conform to the dimensions of a roller mandrel over which it slides. The

covering is made cylindrical by use of a longitudinal seam running the length of covering with the covering, then turned inside out to minimize the effects of the seam. The fabric sleeve is then pulled over the roller by imposition of a plastic sheet that is later removed. A pair of pull strings or welt cords comprise the opposed lateral ends of the fabric sleeve and must be pulled tight and then tucked under the covering after pulling the cover taut.

, A different approach isv found in US. Pat. No. 2,966,724. In this patent, a moisture-carrying material or covering is adhesively secured to an inner core. The

inner coreis substantially solid in cross section and in one embodiment, opposed bearing inserts are glued into the lateral core ends for rotatable support thereof.

Being of solid plastic or metal, these inserts add to the cost of the roller and being permanently affixed in the roller ends they must be discarded along with the roller or uniform surface with which it applies the dampening 2 liquid to thereby reduce the possibility of voids or surface abrasion on the contact plate.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roller fabricated from a paper or plastic hollow sleeve that is carried on a rigid metal core and that can be removed therefrom by pulling on a core end to thereby breakdown the core.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a roller support for use with a disposable roller wherein the support is easily dismantled without the use of tools, and presents a substantially non-deformable surface to maintain roller conformity with respect to the workpiece.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appending claims. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the drawings, wherein the same reference numeral donotes the same element throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a prior art device;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the inventive apparatus showing the dampening roller and an integral core therefor, and support tube with one tube end detached to allow exchange of the roller;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partially broken perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 showing the means for demountably coupling the tube end cap to the tube with the roller core and associated covering removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inventive roller shown in FIG. 2 more clearly revealing the roller core and attached moisture or liquid carrying material;

FIG. 5 shows the elements of FIGS. 2 through 4 joined and in an operative configuration; and

FIG. 6 is an end view showing another embodiment of a roller for use with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 2 through 5 there is shown the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

A hollow cylindrical mandrel or support tube 10 has each of its two opposed lateral ends fitted with one of a pair of end caps, the caps generally indicated by reference numeral 12. Each cap 12 includes a short hollow tube body 14 having an outside diameter and periphery complimentary with the inside periphery of tube 10. With this construction, cap body 14 detachably, yet snuggly, fits into its respective end of tube 10. v

A cap flange 16 is integral on and concentric about cap body 14, and, as will be observed, the flange is of a larger diameter than tube 10 to thereby present a seat onto which an associated edge of tube 10 abuts. Further, the flanges serve to lock or capture a roller core inserted therebetween as will be described hereinafter. Positioned on the outborad face of flange 16 is a shoulder 18. Shoulder I8 is likewise concentric about cap body 14 and so is coaxial about the central longitudinal axis of tube 10. A bearing 20 is centrally and coaxially located in shoulder 18 thereby making the bearing like- 3 wise concentric about the central longitudinal axis of tube 10.

A locking tongue or protrusion 22, projects from the surface of body 14 and is designed to mate with a complimentary recess or detent 24 formed in tube 10.

A seamless dampening roller, seen generally by reference numeral 26 comprises a hollow core body 28 and affixed on the outside periphery thereof, a dampening or liquid-absorbent material 30. Core 28 is fabricated from low cost material such as plastic, resin or paper but preferably the latter because it is the less expensive. The core is of a thickness or fabricated in such a way so as to have some degree of inherent strength. By way of example only and not limitation, it has been found that spirally wound paper cores having a wall thickness approximately one-eighth inch perform satisfactorily and will usually outlive the absorbent covering. Core 28 has an inside diameter substantially complimentary with the outside diameter of tube and has a longitudinal length nearly co-extensive with the spacing between the opposed faces of flanges 16 when the caps are inserted in tube 10, described hereinafter.

Attached to the outer surface of core 28, is an absorbent or moisture-carrying material 30. Material 30 is, preferably, comprised of a tubular knitted fabric in the form of a discrete sleeve that is adhesively bonded to the outer periphery of core 28 by means common in the art. Material 30 might be comprised of a napped felt, a molleton, a velveteen or a pile fabric. The fabric sleeve is then adhesively bonded to core 28 by glueing or epoxying and when so constructed, moisture-absorbent material on sleeve 30 will be devoid of seams and other surface discontinuities.

Operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 is as follows: The roller and support structure is shown in FIG. 5 fully assembled and ready for placement on a machine, the machine not shown. When placed on, for example, a lithographic device, the assembled tube, caps and core combination will ride on a machine pin or arbor 32, being rotatably and slidably supported thereon by bearing 20 in each end cap 12. When so positioned in the machine, shoulders 18 will abut against adjacent machine elements, the elements not shown, to prevent substantially axial movement of the roller combination with respect to pin 32. When it becomes necessary to change roller 26, one or both of the aforesaid machine elements that confines shoulders 18 is removed. This permits the roller, support tube and end cap combination, to slide 011' of pin 32. Pulling on either cap 12 with respect to the other, separates either or both caps from tube 10. With one or both caps removed, roller 26 comprising core 28 with attached covering 30, readily slides off support tube 10. A new roller can then be slid over tube 10 after which caps 12 are reintroduced into respective ends of tube 10 by aligning respective tongue and recess combinations 22 and 24. With the support tube, caps and roller joined the same can be slid back on pin 32. Tongue 22 and complimentary recess 24 prevent relative movement between the cap and support tube.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an end view of a roller somewhat similar to that described for FIGS. 2 through 5. The inside diameter ofa central core 34 is likewise complimentary with the outer preiphery of support tube 10. Disposed on the outer periphery of core 34 is a cylindrical jacket or layer of resilient material 36. And, disposed on the outer periphery of jacket 36 is a uniform layer of moisture-absorbent material 38 in all respects similar to absorbent material 30. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 remains essentially that described for FIGS. 2 through 5, and so needs no further description here. It will be appreciated, however, that since the embodiment of FIG. 6 includes an intermediate resilient layer 36, it will find application on those surfaces needing wetting or dampening that exhibit surface discontinuities or exhibit elevational contours.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A roller device for the transfer ofa liquid including in combination a support tube, a pair of end caps for detachable imposition in the respective lateral ends of said support tube, a dampening roller adapted to absorb the liquid and slidable over said support tube and being supported thereby, and means on each of said caps with which to rotatably journal said support tube, said dampening roller including a rigid core tube having an internal periphery complimentary with the external periphery of said support tube, and moistureabsorbent means on the external periphery of said core tube to absorb the liquid.

2. The device of claim 1, said moisture-absorbent means being adhesively bonded to said core tube and defined by a uniform outer surface.

3. The device of claim 1, each of said end caps including a flange having a cross section larger than said support tube to thereby abut against the lateral ends of said support tube and in so doing confine said core tube between opposed faces of said flanges.

4. The device of claim 3, each of said caps including a shoulder on the outboard face thereof and further including a tang projecting from the surface of each of said caps, said support tube being formed with a recess on each lateral end thereof that is complimentary with said tang to demountably engage therewith and prevent relative movement of said caps with respect to said support tube.

5. The device of claim 1, said dampening roller including a layer of resilient material interposed between said core tube and moisture-absorbent means to allow the same to undulate.

6. A dampening roller including a core tube having an outer peripheryof moisture-absorbent material, said core tube adapted to slide onto a cylinder with the cylinder having end caps detachable therefrom, said core tube being constrained for lateral movement with respect to the cylinder by the end caps, the outer periphery of moisture-absorbent material being fabricated as a tubular seamless knitted sleeve having a molleton textured exterior, and means bonding said knitted sleeve to said core tube. 

1. A roller device for the transfer of a liquid including in combination a support tube, a pair of end caps for detachable imposition in the respective lateral ends of said support tube, a dampening roller adapteD to absorb the liquid and slidable over said support tube and being supported thereby, and means on each of said caps with which to rotatably journal said support tube, said dampening roller including a rigid core tube having an internal periphery complimentary with the external periphery of said support tube, and moisture-absorbent means on the external periphery of said core tube to absorb the liquid.
 2. The device of claim 1, said moisture-absorbent means being adhesively bonded to said core tube and defined by a uniform outer surface.
 3. The device of claim 1, each of said end caps including a flange having a cross section larger than said support tube to thereby abut against the lateral ends of said support tube and in so doing confine said core tube between opposed faces of said flanges.
 4. The device of claim 3, each of said caps including a shoulder on the outboard face thereof and further including a tang projecting from the surface of each of said caps, said support tube being formed with a recess on each lateral end thereof that is complimentary with said tang to demountably engage therewith and prevent relative movement of said caps with respect to said support tube.
 5. The device of claim 1, said dampening roller including a layer of resilient material interposed between said core tube and moisture-absorbent means to allow the same to undulate.
 6. A dampening roller including a core tube having an outer periphery of moisture-absorbent material, said core tube adapted to slide onto a cylinder with the cylinder having end caps detachable therefrom, said core tube being constrained for lateral movement with respect to the cylinder by the end caps, the outer periphery of moisture-absorbent material being fabricated as a tubular seamless knitted sleeve having a molleton textured exterior, and means bonding said knitted sleeve to said core tube. 